


Mars Is Bright Tonight...

by Astronut



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Magical Space Program, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Music, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 15:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20566655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astronut/pseuds/Astronut
Summary: A flying washtub involves one ministry worker in a war that did not concern her.





	1. Chapter 1.  Dissonance

**Author's Note:**

> Originally Posted at The Sugar Quill in 2006. Please do not repost elsewhere without permission. 
> 
> A very grateful thanks to sveltskye

Chapter 1. Dissonance

dissonance _n_ 1 : a mingling of discordant sounds 2 : lack of agreement 3 : an unresolved musical note or chord

\- Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

Noise reverberated through out the atrium of the Ministry of Magic as employees reported for work. Today, the usual monotonous chatter and halfhearted greetings yielded to a chaotic symphony of gossip and discontented murmurs. Despite this new clamor, strands of the usual rhythm pressed onward.

“Good morning Eric,” a hurried voice exclaimed to the guard as a bundle of pink umbrellas fought their way through the crowd. 

“Kay, is that you under there?” The guard eyed the teetering, florid pink stack. Dismissing the bundle as another daily peculiarity at the ministry, he started in on the latest gossip circulating the ministry. “Hey, did you hear what happened here last night? You-Know-Who was here, right here in the atrium! They say Dumbledore himself…” He broke off as a pair of icy blue eyes finally peered around the bundle as it threatened to plunge to the ground after brushing against a crass man with terrible sunburn.

“I’m sorry Eric, I can’t talk. I’ve got to get this stuff to the office before I drop it and see if my delivery has arrived. I don’t have time for useless news.” 

With a quick, forced smile, Kay and the bundle of umbrellas made their way to the lifts. The clicking of her shoes against atrium floor was overpowered by the sound of various witches and wizards stopping to talk about the events of the night before, only to be soundly rapped on the shoulder by the bundle of umbrellas parting the crowd. After a treacherous encounter with a fallen gold centaur arm that nearly sent the thirty pink umbrellas flying, Kay entered a waiting lift. Closing her eyes as the lift descended, Kay calmed herself, imagining the creaking of the lift was an old oak, swaying in the whispering wind.

“Level six, Department of Transport, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center.” The cool voice jerked Kay out her trance. Begging pardon for nearly blinding several people, she exited the elevator and sped past a small queue of nervous teens and even more nervous parents. Finally she reached a plain door at the end of the hall with a small hand written sign that proudly spelled out “Space Division.”

Inside the magically expanded office was a cluttered mess of bits of parchment, broken quills, and books surrounding a large, wooden washtub. Propping the umbrellas in the corner near the sole desk, Kay was disappointed to see that her shipment had not yet arrived. With a clatter, the framed Muggle photos of Mars, the Moon, and various other planets found themselves gently thrown in a box on a stool, deprived of their usual place of prominence on the desk. A bright pink umbrella now stood at attention on the cleared desk, resembling a satellite dish. 

“You know, it’s considered bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.” With a jolt, Kay spun to find Orion O’Reilly from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Beast Division leaning casually against the door frame. A blush spread slowly on her pale cheeks, but her shyness was quickly overcome by excitement. 

“Did my shipment come?” In reply, a soft package flew towards her head. Reaching out to field the package, Kay managed to slip on one of the umbrellas scattered on the floor. She suddenly found herself seated on the floor, with the package sitting neatly on her stomach. She tried to hide her burning face as she murmured a word of thanks and tore open the package. The blush receded as her face became awash with joy.

“Wow. This must have been hard to get,” she exclaimed as she ran her fingers over the fur cloth that felt like moonlight itself trapped in a frozen, liquid confine. “Thank you so much for getting it. I’ve got the department reimbursement papers around her somewhere…” Stiffly, she got to her feet and started rummaging through papers piled on a cabinet near her. Quickly becoming frustrated, she pulled out her wand and tried a summoning charm with no success. 

“That’s okay. Orders came in from above asking the department to find you high quality demiguise pelts,” Orion explained, picking invisible hairs off his pressed and tailored robes. “They’re covering the bill.” Kay continued to finger the slippery cloth, apparently oblivious to this newfound interest in her work. Orion cleared his throat, clearly annoyed by the attention afforded to the animal pelt instead of him. Kay looked up at him, feeling heat rise once more in her cheeks. The tailored robes that draped him showed off a well proportioned body aided by deep, cold blue eyes that hid under a lock of artfully untidy brown hair. 

“Um, th-thanks for the pelts. I…I mean…it…it must have been a lot of work…for you, I mean.” The butterflies in her stomach gave her voice a slight tremor as she stuttered her way through her thanks. She tucked a lock of dishwater blonde hair that was escaping her pony tail behind her ear. “I…want to thank you…maybe I could…buyyoulunchtoday.” The end came out in a rush as she fought to make the offer before her courage failed. 

The lopsided grin on Orion’s grew, showing pearly white teeth. “Sorry, I can’t,” he replied, not sounding the least bit sorry. “I have a meeting with those idiots from the Werewolf Support Services. It seems that they are trying to get those soulless beasts classified as beings again. ‘_To improve their relations with the ministry and their morale_.’” He snorted. “Who wants high werewolf morale? Maybe if those stupid beasts stay depressed, they’ll all off themselves and we’ll all be better off. Anyway, must run.” His hatred fell on deaf ears, as Kay was first distracted by Orion’s heart melting smile, then by the pelt in her hands as he turned and arrogantly strode down the corridor. Kay turned back to the desk, carefully avoiding the fallen umbrella, and began to work. 

* * *

Two hours later, a rumbling stomach caused Kay to stop working and pocket her wand. Standing and stretching, she looked over her accomplishment. The florid pink umbrella on the desk was now lined with the shimmering demiguise pelt. Demiguise hair would normally make an object invisible, but the near parabolic shape of the umbrella caused the light be reflected back and create a dazzling bright light that radiated from the interior of the umbrella. The entrancing sight encouraged her to neglect the rumbling in her stomach for a few more minutes. With a swish and flick, a few words, and a couple of pokes, the pink umbrella now rose, correct side up, from the center of the washtub. Overall, it looked like some strange alien plant had just sprouted in the tiny office. A brilliant light reflecting from the umbrella followed the shaft and suffused the washtub with a warm glow. Satisfied, she left for lunch with a rapidly growing grin. 

The cafeteria was located on the atrium level of the Ministry of Magic. This caused many rumbled complaints from those who worked on the lower levels who had to trek the long distance for a bite to eat, although no argument was ever heard from the Unspeakables. The spacious cafeteria consisted of a hundred small, round tables that remained Kay of the ball at Hogwarts she had attended while in Ravenclaw. Each table was fitted with six empty silver table settings as well as a satin white table cloth and a single red rose. The ceiling above the tables vaulted into soaring skylight windows that were enchanted with the same charm as the rest of the Ministry windows. Today they were a stormy grey. A low bubbling of conversation reached Kay’s ears as she entered the cafeteria. A third of the tables were full of people at various stages of eating. A wisp of red hair caught her eye as she saw a tall man sitting down alone at a table. Heading towards the man, Kay wove her way through the maze of tables. 

“Hello, Arthur. Mind if I eat with you?” Kay asked the red headed man.

Arthur Weasley, a kindly older man who worked in the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, looked up from his dazed stare at the rose on the table. “Oh, hello Kay. Sorry I didn’t see you. I’m a bit distracted with all that’s going on. Have a seat.” He and Kay each grabbed a menu and placed an order.

“Chicken Sand Witch,” Kay spoke to the air. A few minutes later, a breast of chicken appeared on her plate, nestled in a beach of rice and couscous, while a charmed sea of sweet and sour sauce lapped at the shore of rice. _The house elves certainly know what they’re doing_, she thought approvingly.

“So, are you still studying Muggle Roke Its?” Arthur asked as he started in on his meatloaf. 

“Rockets. No, I gave up on those along time ago. Too many computers to guide it. It would go haywire with a witch or wizard aboard. I did discover this Muggle idea for these ‘light sails’ or some nonsense. I don’t think they would work with light, but I do think I can make one that uses magic.” Kay had clearly forgotten her chicken as she dove into the topic that was the love of her life. “Muggles always worry about something they call ‘The Conservation of Mass, Energy, and Momentum,’ but they always forget that magic is a form of energy. By their equations, having a sail on the same object producing the radiation stream would be impossible. Kind of like in those Muggle cart tunes you showed me. Most of the things that coyote invented would never…” Kay trailed off as a long black haired woman approached the table with a sad half smile. 

“Hi Arthur, how are you holding up?” The woman limped a bit as she approached. 

“Tonks, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be on your feet,” Arthur rose quickly to pull out a chair for Tonks. She sat with a wince, but nodded her thanks. Kay surprised to see the normally chipper auror looking so dull and down. 

“Paper work for last night. It couldn’t wait. The sooner that man is impeached, the better…” Tonks trailed off as she looked furtively in Kay’s direction and then glanced at Arthur. Kay looked down and picked at her chicken as Arthur and Tonks continued to converse in hushed tones. Their whispers combined with conversations of other tables to create a wind that whistled and gusted about the cafeteria. Finishing her chicken, Kay looked at Arthur and abruptly cut off Tonks. 

“…it’s only time before he strikes.”

“We’re still not prepared, and now, with- with everything…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Miss Tonks, but I need to get back to my project. Good bye Arthur, stop by sometime to see my project. I have some Muggle models you might like.” With that she left the windy cafeteria and entered the atrium. Passing through the ornate space, she noticed something that had escaped her attention earlier; something was missing. There was no longer a beautiful trickling fountain to drown the wind. 

* * *

Kay arrived back at the office ready to work. With the umbrella lined and fixed to the tub, the only physical work that needed to be done was building the core. The core would provide the energy needed to propel the washtub into orbit. “Of course, the tub will need various enchantments before it’s space worthy,” Kay thought aloud with a laugh, caressing the edge of the battered tub. Fumbling in a filing cabinet drawer, she began the search for the core blueprints. Twenty minutes and five summoning charms later, Kay determined that the blue prints and the reimbursement forms had disapperated together, seemingly for the sole purpose of annoying her. Sighing, she gathered her notes from various secure locations about the office, such as under the desk, beneath a Muggle model rocket, and inside her coffee cup. Extracting a quill from the bottom of a paper pile by the door, she began to recreate the core blueprints. Several hours later, the unfinished blueprints were hastily placed not in the stack by the cabinet this time, but under her small office plant as she left to greet her cat, cook herself diner, and spend a quiet night reading Modern Compressible Flow with a Historical Perspective. 


	2. Chapter 2.  Beats

Chapter 2. Beats

2 beat _n_ 1 a : a single stroke or blow esp. in a series 1 c : a driving impact or force 3 : each of the pulsations of amplitude produced by the union of sound or radio waves or electric currents having different frequencies

\- Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

A week later a flustered and confused Kay found herself standing in a posh office before the Minister of Magic.

“Weena Kay Defou, Space Division,” the blustering Cornelius Fudge stated. His attention was focused on the nodding Ministry worker to Kay’s left, but he managed to direct a benevolent smile towards Kay. “Weena, my dear, may I call you that?” He drove on without waiting for a reply, fiddling with a poison green quill on his desk. “I hear you are making significant progress on your, er, spaceship.”

Kay’s trembling alto broke the silence concluding his statement. “Yes sir. I’m nearly finished with the core, um- the engine, I mean to say, the power that allows it to fly.”

Grey eyebrows rose to hide beneath the lime green bowler that Fudge had forgotten to remove. “It can fly soon?” he questioned, eagerness in his voice. 

“Yes. I’ve already done an Artesian Well charm to provide the passengers with water, a modified bubblehead charm for air…”

With a hurried wave of his hand, Minister Fudge cut off Kay’s explanation. “Weena, we, I mean I, I am greatly pleased with your work. I want your spaceship to be working as soon as possible. You may have whatever resources you need, but I need it flying soon. The sooner we…” Overwhelming shock and the pounding of her own heart drowned out the Minister’s words. No one had ever shown any interest in her project before now, besides Arthur who asked now and then about her progress during their casual conversations.” Every ounce of funding was tenaciously fought for and carefully spent. Kay’s spirit soared and her face glowed with pride. “…need a distraction. Just because we are having a few dark days does not mean we shouldn’t do something grand. It will get people’s minds off things, give them hope. And you’ll have my personal thanks for vaulting the Ministry from our current misery into, um, space. I will announce it straight away, with a proper ceremony and everything… you’re invited of course.” The newly minted hero of the Ministry did not notice as the aid beside her smiled sinisterly and nodded in approval. 

***

A tired and stressed Kay dropped into a Ministry issue chair next to a table in the cafeteria. Her eyes drooped, but she finally felt content. The core had been complete according to the Minister’s schedule and at last her project was done. A thorough checkout procedure would prelude the first test flight, which was scheduled to occur a few days from now. Minister Fudge was already trying to commission the Weird Sisters to write a song to be sung upon the completion of the first flight. Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed Arthur’s arrival.

“Kay, I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve been meaning to congratulate you on your project. I hear the Minister is making a big to do about it.” He pulled up a chair with a screech and set down his cup of spiced pumpkin cider. 

“I don’t remember the last time I was out of my office,” Kay replied with a wan smile. “I finally finished it, though. That wash tub is going to join the likes of Apollo and Soyuz.”

“A wash tub is a rather odd craft. It sounds like a story my boys would come up with.” A playful smiled tugged at his face.

“Well, yes, but I could have used a pickle barrel or a septic tank and it would have made no difference. The import part is the core, and the umbrella of course.”

“So how does this core work?” Arthur’s face was more serious than usual, and he concentrated intently on her reply.

“The core is made from a bunch of wand cores I obtained from Mr. Ollivander. A phoenix feather, a unicorn hair, and a dragon’s heartstring. I’ve even included a few unusual cores that he was reluctant to let me have. A single strand of Veela hair, werewolf fur, tooth of a vampire…any type of core I could find.” She paused as her food arrived, a savory Salisbury steak. “Each core emits a different frequency of magic, kind of like the frequencies on a Muggle wireless. When all of the cores are functioning together, it creates a melody of sorts. Except this melody is an emission spectrum of a high powered beam of magic. It bounces off of the sail and is reflected downward. This pushes the sail, and by extension the spacecraft, upward. By conducting and controlling the beam, you can steer the craft. Muggles are trying to do this with a laser and a light sail, but the laser has to be on the ground to work. Newton’s third law- or is it the first? I digress, but anyway, it works for magic because we’re just converting stored energy and directing it, like a battery, not bouncing off particles and using momentum like a sail.”

At the mention of batteries, Arthur began talking about the tractor battery that he had just acquired from some farm near his home. Enjoying her lunch and Arthur’s company, she was surprised when Arthur’s melodic voice abruptly stopped. Looking up to find the cause of the disruption, she found herself gazing into the dark eyes of Walden Macnair, member of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. “Good day Miss Defou,” his smooth baritone voice was soothing to her ears. “I have heard of your project and wished to meet the woman of such intelligence behind it, but no one told me of your beauty.” He took her hand swiftly into his and kissed it, tickling her skin with his dark mustache. “Please call me Walden.”

Sputtering to find a reply to possibly the most wonderful complement she had ever received, she was grateful when Arthur took charge. “Macnair, lovely to see you again. I heard you were having problems with your eye after your heroic rescue attempt when the Death Eaters invaded the ministry. Quite convenient you were working so late.” Arthur’s voice was tight and his hands clenched around the edge of the table. His eyes never released Macnair’s gaze.

“Yes, although my eye is well enough to see Miss Defou’s obvious beauty. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to accompany me to dinner tonight?” The latter was directed towards Kay as he softly caressed her fingers. 

“Yes, I...er…would be honored,” Kay replied at the same time Arthur responded, “She has plans.”

Kay’s head was dizzy with a swirl of thoughts and emotions. She had just been asked out by a prosperous pureblood, a rare occasion for anyone of mixed blood, yet Arthur was reacting rather strangely.

“Very well, I will pick you up at your home at seven. Please be ready. Our host would not like it if we were late to his grand party.” With another kiss for her hand, and a tweak of his mustache, Walden Macnair left the stunned couple to finish their lunch. 

“How could you say yes to that…that…man!” The outrage in Arthur’s voice was clear, and stronger than Kay had ever heard it. 

“He’s Walden Macnair and he obviously likes me, how could I not? It’s not like I have a queue of men lined around the block waiting to take me out,” she added bitterly.

“He’s a _Death Eater_, Kay!”

“If he was a Death Eater he’d be in Azkaban! I don’t understand you, Arthur. Can’t you just be happy for me?”

“Kay, listen to me.” Arthur’s face was calm and serious. “If you get involved with him, you will get hurt. I don’t know what he wants you for, but it can only bring evil.” His sincerity touched her heart, but too much of her was protesting his words. She hurried away from him, out of the cafeteria where she could safely wipe away the tears that had been threatening to fall down her cheeks. Her heels made a clickity-clack sound on the stone floor as she ran. She glanced back once, only to see the look of sorrow and concern on Arthur’s features and the defeat evident in his posture.

***

Her date was over an hour away and already Kay’s stomach was turning with a tornado of butterflies. She had tried to read the newest addition to her large book collection, To Rise From Earth, but she was too nervous to concentrate properly. Instead, she decided to get ready, choosing her dress and shoes and laying them out. Her dishwater blonde hair was already in a fancy French braid that had taken her nearly three quarters of an hour. As she chose which pieces of jewelry to wear, a knock came at her rather weary, well worn door. “A gentleman caller for you, milady,” it wheezed. Beating down the frantic belief that every one of her clocks was an hour behind, she nervously opened the door. Standing outside was Walden Macnair, wearing a simple black robe.

“Oh, dear. I was sure you said seven. I’m not ready yet, I need…” Kay’s nervous avalanche of speech was stopped short by Walden. 

“I’m afraid I must have given you the wrong time. You look lovely as you are.” Looking down at her faded jeans and the over-sized t-shirt that she often wore around the house, she made an attempt to object, but was once again interrupted. “Time is of the essence, I’m afraid. I would hate to have the party begin without us.” At this, she caught a curious glimpse of fear in his eyes that did not match the circumstances. He tossed a tacky plastic sculpture at her, which she caught out of reflex.

An abrupt jerk above the navel and a discordant swirl of color signified the portkey clutched tightly in her hand. With a solid thump she found herself in a moonlit grove of a dark forest. In the apathetic light of the waxing gibbous moon she saw shadows approach her from all sides. Their footsteps and the rustle of their robes created an eerie whispered cadence as the darkness closed around her. Masked faces chuckled as she clawed at the ground, trying to drag herself away only to meet another wall of darkness at every turn. Shakily, she climbed to her feet, but sank back to the ground upon gazing on the single unmasked face in the crowd. 

Lord Voldemort was hosting a party, and Kay was the guest of honor.


	3. Chapter 3.  Resonance

Chapter 3. Resonance

resonance _n_ 1 a : the quality or state of being resonant b (1) : a vibration of large amplitude in a mechanical or electrical system caused by a relatively small periodic stimulus of the same or nearly the same period as the natural vibration period of the system 2 a : the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration 3 : the sound elicited on percussion of the chest

\- Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

Staccato sobs punctuated the cackling laughter of the dark robed choir. The barefaced conductor stepped forward and the laughter immediately ceased. “Come now, Miss Defou. There is no need to be frightened. Just tell your Lord all that he wants to know, and I will grant you permission to return to your nice, safe office, never to be bothered again,” the Dark Lord hissed with mocking kindness, but the words did nothing except to elicit more choking sobs. Bringing his wand to bear on the Kay’s small huddled figure, he spoke his demands. “My servant Rookwood found some interesting papers during his wanderings in the Ministry. They include highly ingenious plans for a magic amplification device. This core would be useful to me, save that these amazing plans lack any directions for its use. Tell me how to work the core and I will grant your freedom and safety.” Blood red eyes narrowed and serpent-like nostrils flared. “I will be most upset if you refuse.” 

The pounding of Kay’s heart quickened at the Dark Lord’s words. Her chest heaved as if drawing in enough air would allow her to rise and float away. Eyes blurred with tears darted about the black enclosure, looking for a way out. Her gut dropped when she realized that the only paths left to her were resistance or submission. A million thoughts ran through her head during the split second she had to decide; terror of what she might face if she defied, horror that she was forced to make such a choice, shame that she would even consider sacrificing the Wizarding World’s security for the sake of her own selfishness. She was no hero, not even a brave Gryffindor. Surely, she could not be expected to face such evil alone. She thought of her parents, blissfully unaware that she was a step away from a horrible death. Of Arthur, who would be wracked with guilt that he hadn’t stopped her from going on her “date”. She couldn’t let them suffer for her own stupidity. At least, she tried to convince herself that was the reason for what she did next.

Utterly defeated, she lowered her head and haltingly began to tell the instructions. “When activated by a wand, the core starts emitting magical energy. Each of the cores emits a different frequency. The person operating core has to conduct the frequencies, like an orchestra. The wand cores need to create a harmony of magic to reinforce each other, amplifying the magic energy. The more alike you force the frequencies to be, the more you force them to converge, the closer it will come to resonance and the power will increase exponentially. When the magic hits resonance, the power becomes infinite but you can’t do that because the entire thing…” 

“Thank you for your candor,” Voldemort interrupted Kay’s warning of the destructive force of resonance, a force that could cause a breeze to demolish a bridge. “I believe your little invention is just the thing I need to increase my power, power even that fool Dumbledore will never challenge. Pity you’ll never see it come to fruition. Good bye.” With that, he raised his wand to utter two words in farewell when his concentration was broken by a quartet of sharp, whip-like cracks. 

A handful of Death Eaters crumpled into a heap as a figure outside the circle shouted “Stupify!” A tall, familiar man quickly brought down two other masked figures, while Kay watched in petrified silence as Tonks dealt with another Death Eater, the look of calm determination on her face more out of place than her green spiked hair. A gentle hand on her shoulder pierced her mental amour and she tried to dart away, ending on her side mere centimeters away, hand still in place. “Easy there. I’m a friend. I need to get you to safety, just touch this.” The kind, fluid voice spoke gently and smoothly with an occasional horse scratch. She jerked her hand away from the disheveled teddy bear portkey, looking up into her rescuer’s face. The young but lined face held no anger, and the soft, sad eyes held no fear or malice. Gently, he placed her hand on the teddy bear, and together they felt the jerk that would take them far away from the dark forest and its darker lord. 

Their destination was a small cottage perched on the edge of a wood, so remote that it seemed to Kay they could have been in another time and dimension. A warm glow from the front window guided their way up a worn, overgrown path. Inside, her rescuer led her to a worn but comfortable sofa. “If you’ll wait a minute, I’ll bring you something to drink,” the kind voice said. She did not answer, instead maintaining her steady gaze at the bookshelf on the opposing wall. A few moments later, a hot mug found its way into her trembling hands. “Drink.” 

Fluid warmth spread through her, killing some of the fear and dread that still clung to her heart. She could feel herself relaxing slightly, and wrest her gaze from its blank stare to rest on the man now seated in front of her, a steaming mug of his own in his hand. “Never known a situation that couldn’t be helped with chocolate.” The small smile on his lined face was quickly matched with one on her own. “I’m Remus, by the way.” 

“Kay.” 

“If you wish to talk, I’m willing to listen.” His voice and gentle manner broke the dam of pent up adrenaline and anxiety that had built up inside her, letting loose a torrent of hysterical sobs. Two mugs of hot chocolate and three biscuits later, Remus coaxed her into telling the events that had occurred that night. Kay felt comforted and encouraged by this man, who seemed sympathetic and non- judgmental as she halting began to tell her tale. She hesitated as she reached her own betrayal, fearing the disappointment and disgust that would surly show on this heroic stranger’s face. Kay finished her tale while studying the new tears in her jeans. 

He left the room after her story and flood had ceased, and she sat shaking, fearing his rebuke. She was pleasantly disappointed when he returned with a kind smile and told her of the events that followed her escape. “Most of the Death Eaters apparated before they could be captured, but we did get a few. Voldemort left as soon as we made our presence known. It wasn’t worth it to him to stick around and fight. Your papers were recovered though.” He handed her a thin purple folder that contained her plans for the core, the missing requisition forms, as well as some papers that must have been sitting near by at the time of the theft. “You need to keep these safe or else destroy them,” he said gently. “Knowledge can be used for good or evil. You are the only one that can determine its use.” At this point, he asked her a question she feared. “Does Voldemort have enough information to use a core to augment his power?” 

“Yes, but I doubt it will work. He seemed interested when I told him that resonance provided infinite power. It does, but it strains the system so much that it will probably explode without him being able to use a milliquirk of that power.” 

Satisfied with that response, he had allowed her to stay. They chatted about various things such as astronomy, which turned out to be a common interest between them, before he had made another portkey to send her home. Arriving tired and worn, she crawled into her bed, allowing her carefully chosen attire for her supposed date to fall to the floor, tired from the night’s trials. But even as her head hit the pillow, Kay realized she would not be sleeping as nightmares of what could have been danced before her eyes. 

* * * 

Kay whistled a tuneless ditty that was interrupted by frequent bouts of muttering as she wedged several pink umbrellas into an already stuffed box. A tap at the door broke off her whistling as her lips turned into a true smile. 

“What happened to your sign? Are you actually cleaning?” Arthur Weasley stood framed in the doorway, looking around at Kay’s now sparse office. 

“No, I’m afraid I’m packing. The Space Division is on hold, pending the end of this war.” Despite her words, Kay’s voice was light and a determined expression was set on her face as she battled a particularly rebellious umbrella. 

“I don’t understand. Surely you aren’t going to let last week’s events scare you into destroying your dream. I know Fudge is rallying a lot of support behind this project, so funding isn’t the problem.” 

“Fudge’s plans are precisely why I’m packing. He’s spending so much time and money on distracting the public that he’s not actually fighting the war. This could be over a lot sooner if we all work together on the problem. I’m transferring to the Broom Research Department. This is my war, too. Maybe I can give the Aurors a bit of an edge while flying. Even if it only saves one or two, still…it’s something.” She looked up to see Arthur smiling proudly at her.

“Every little bit helps. I’m glad to see you’re taking an interest in what’s going on around you, but I don’t want you to give up your dreams.” He wistfully eyed a copy of _Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach_ that had fallen from its box. 

“I’m not. I wrote a letter to an old housemate, Professor Sinistra. We’ve decided having a research project would provide a few of the more talented N.E.W.T. students with practical experience in Charms and stellar navigation. Apparently, Hogwarts even has funding for such projects. I won’t have as much time to devote to the project and I won’t be getting paid for it anymore, but at least it will continue. I’ll also get to corrupt innocent young minds and open them to the world of space research.” Kay’s smile became an evil little grin. “The tub will fly, eventually. Even sooner once this war ends and there is time for such pursuits.”

Arthur smiled, “In that case, I’ll leave you to it. Provided that you promise that I will see your flying washtub work in my lifetime, that is.”

A musical chuckled burst from Kay. “That’s a promise. I guess this war had better end soon then, eh?”

Arthur’s laughter joined Kay’s own to form a few chords in a greater harmony that danced lightly over the march of war and would eventually replace it in a triumphant melody. 

The End


End file.
